3 ideas for personal action to fight street harassment

Whistles, arm-grabs, flashing, random sexual comments and insults, thrown objects, or even just what pretends to be an innocent “hollla” that turns into physical assault…the list of what young women (and

for that matter old women and some men) can face while simply walking down the street is endless. It’s happened to almost everyone, and anyone who’s experienced it knows that street harassment isn’t just “boys being boys.” These interactions leave victims feeling powerless, unwelcome, and wear at feelings of safety and self-esteem over time. And it happens everywhere, every day.

Here are 3 ideas for personal level participation:

1. Talk about street harassment with friends/family/coworkers/classmates/neighbors. Share your stories with them. Think about what a safe community would look and share that vision with them.

2. Raise awareness online.

* Change your Facebook profile picture to be the Anti-Street Harassment Week logo (see example on the right, or visit the tools page to access logos in 12 languages)

* Write and post a street harassment story on a blog, Tumblr, twitter, or Facebook.

3. Raise awareness with the arts. Tackle the issue of street harassment in an entertaining, compelling way. Post it online or offline, use it to generate discussions about street harassment and public safety. [Idea Guide]